The Blue Flower
by FriendsForevaa
Summary: What I want is not a friend. It's not a lover either. I want a soulmate and I see one in you. Do you see one in me?" Written for GrayLu week. Two-shot.
1. The Blue Flower

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does. If I did, GrayLu would cause the earth to expose itself *trying to be funny* I don't own the beautiful fanart, Milady666 (deviantart) does. In-fact, most of my stories' fanart are by her, I love her art a lot.

 **Summary** \- What I want is not a friend. It's not a lover either. I want a soulmate and I see one in you. The question is: Do you see one in me?" Written for GrayLu week. Two-shot.

 **Genre** \- Romance, Drama, Light Humor, Mystery

 **Prompts** \- Myth, Team Up

* * *

 **x**

 **The Blue Flower**

"Boring."

The stellar mage whispered irritatingly as she dropped her head low on the table. It couldn't be helped. After-all, this marked the fifth day of her being the only "jobless" member from her team– Team Natsu. It didn't help that the guild itself was nearly empty, now that most were busy with their respective missons. A few of them had gone to visit their family. This left the blonde in a company crisis.

 _How did things even lead up to this..._

It just seemed like yesterday. Natsu was kidnapped by a certain reequip mage, who had coaxed him into joining her, promising she would fight him if he did well on their mission. The simple-minded pinkette agreed without thinking twice. And thus, the two set on their mission to find the "best cake to ever exist in the history of humanity."

Truly, a holy expedition.

Lucy clearly remembered the distressing look on his face, when she saw him pleading to his "master" for clemency. Oh, the despair! Even he, the great dragon slayer (who had the solution to every problem) realized the mission was impossible– no such cake existed. Judgement day was bound to come earlier before the redhead could be satisfied from these monstrous creatures in the shape of round sorcery i.e. cakes- she was just too greedy when it came to these monstrous creatures.

She even remembered Natsu (and Happy) giving her a terrified look, as if desperately seeking her help. She wanted to, she really did. but it was Erza she was up against. No thanks, she still held her life dear. Not when the redhead was so determined and serious.

 _"That was scary."_ Lucy mumbled, chuckling.

This left only Gray: the ice maker, infamous among the town for his stripping habit, he had a knack for it. Oh, the nimbleness! Each layer coming off one by one like there's no tomorrow. As for where he went, that much was obvious. He had went with Juvia to save some town from a viral disease, they had to discover the cause of it and if possible, find the cure as well. Well, Gray was levelheaded, and Juvia and him together were an efficient team due to their compatible magic and developing bond. As a result, she wasn't particularly worried about them, she believed that they would do a decent job at it. Yup, nothing to get anxious about, that there _was_ one thing which kept her from attaining true serenity: Gray's exhibitionism might cause the disease to become worse than it already was.

That would be the worst.

The worst was, the guild itself was nearly empty. It was a rare sight, but not an unbelievable one. Summer had always been a season of "jobs" and money for their guild. Lucy knew it, and she did fight against her fate at first. She tried to take as many one-man and comparatively easier jobs, but it didn't work for long. Sooner or later, she was out of options. There were still some, but they either involved fighting, or going out of the city: She wanted neither of that. It only felt right handling such missions with her friends; except that there weren't anywhere near.

The blonde arched her back, only to slam her face on the table again. She looked sideways at the entrance door, nothing but lucid light caught her eyes. She grew restless.

"These two- three- no five... must be causing trouble as usual. Seriously, these idiots..." The blonde whimpered with knitted eyebrows. For a moment, she felt too sad to care. She wanted to cry. How dare they leave her behind. It was all so stupid.

"Hmm, you have better not include me in that list."

A familiar cool voice caught her attention, and she arched her neck. She saw him, and after a short span of observing, beamed at him.

"What, so you are back.. Thank God." She chirped, pushing the chair behind as she strolled towards him with a big grin on her face.

"To think Lucy would wait for me... So this day has arrived, huh." Gray remarked, acting dramatically.

"What- t-that's not it!" She rushed forward, landing a weak punch on his chest.

"Sorry, sorry. It's fun to tease you, I couldn't help it." He sneered.

"Hmph."

"Don't be so angry, you know. You will become a grandma soon if you continue-"

"Or you can go ahead and become a grandpa first. Juvia is always available, you know. By the way, where is she?" She remarked wittingly.

"Oh she is with Lyon." He answered quickly with a smile which quickly turned into a dumbfounded expression, "More like, don't divert my attention! And don't bring Juvia in it either. Besides, is that how you receive someone whom you have met again after so long? Not very nice of you."

 _Crap. Did that sound wrong?_ For the star mage looked as if she was about to cry. That was not the least bit of his intention. He just wanted to continue this fun, little fight for entertainment purposes.

 _"Bad, bad, Gray."_

"I didn't mean it that way..." There was sincerity in his tone, and she felt it.

"No, it's okay..." She whispered, wiping away her tears.

"Hey, you can always share with me, ya know."

"Nothing big. I just miss everyone so much... No one is here, you know.." She stated softly, pouting. Gray found it very endearing of her, or so could be felt from his gentle smile.

At that moment, he felt like protecting her. He wanted to make her smile, the desire to do so was bursting inside him.

"In that case, let's go." He declared, smiling. Lucy found it strangely mysterious.

"... What do you mean?" Lucy uttered after a long pause.

"Like I said. Let's go on a mission of our own. Don't make me repeat now..." He voiced his opinion, acting annoyed.

Then he extended his hand towards her. The celestial spirit mage stared at it as if he was handing her some kind of bomb.

"Hey..." He coughed, a little embarrassed.

And she finally grabbed his hand, muttering a small "ah-" as she did. Surprisingly, it was comfortably cold (not freezing as she thought it would be) In-fact, it felt good to hold his hand when it was so hot outside.

He instantly walked (causing to blonde to push along, and almost stumble) and ambled to reach the request board. He moved his eyes around, deep in thought. No doubt, he had completely forgotten about _something._

"Um..."

 _This was embarrassing..._

"Gray... How to put it... If you would be so kind of you if you let go of my hand..." She said awkwardly. But he was too concentrated to listen.

She wanted to sigh, but felt the opposite. She felt _happy._ Then she did something awkward and unreasonable.

The blonde had tightened her grip , and was now applying pressure on both the calloused and delicate ares with her thumb, forefinger and middle finger; as if she was confirming his existence. Her cheeks turned redder by second until she began to feel tingly. It felt wrong, but at the same time, doing it with someone who was her friend, her comrade... her heart raced even by thinking along. True, she had never really went to share her thoughts with him, or asked for his advice on some of her problems. She knew, she always had _alternatives._ But that didn't mean she never considered him. It just _never_ happened, there was just simply no reason to do so. Usually, by the time she would need his help, the problem would have most likely already been solved.

It was strange.

Truth was, she had observed it. She had felt strongly how similar they both were, how much she connected to him. Usually, they would voice their opinion on a particular topic, and she would be awestruck to notice how much they had in common. It had become a habit of hers, comparing their answers and pretending to get surprised (even when she had started to foresee it) Despite all of that, something was always missing. There was a gap, a hole. Knowingly or unknowingly, she had craved for a connection: Something more stable. Something unbreakable.

That's exactly why it felt right. Touching him like this. Feeling him. Caressing him. Yes, as if it was _forbidden._ She liked the excitement. As if she was cheating on someone, the someone who might not even exist.

 _Intoxicating._

"Lucy!"

She opened her eyes abruptly, her heartbeats already irregular. She glanced around swiftly, only to find a huffing raven-haired guy in front of her.

He was blushing, it was visible. And then he coughed.

It took her a few more seconds to grasp the situation, but as soon as she did, she jolted away her hand.

"You... are a _huge_ pervert _._ I didn't expect." He stated quietly but with a peculiar curiosity. He didn't dislike the contact, it seemed.

"Hey, i-it just happened! I have never held a guy's hand before... A-at least not for t-this long. So I couldn't help but... want to f-feel it..." She paused,"Come to think of it, it's your fault! You held my hand first and now you dare complain!" She marched on a complaining spree. She was puffing hot air, her face just as red as her male partner.

 _Alluring._

"You know... I didn't _exactly_ hate it. Just that you need to be more careful... Not everyone is as tolerant as I am!" He gruffed, looking straight into her eyes. The blonde felt goosebumps while the ice mage was startled at his own words.

"What am I even saying?" He laughed nervously,"Look at this job. It's. perfect. for. us!"

He sounded terribly monotone, and sadly, he was conscious of it. _Curse the (bad) luck!_

"I. know. right. Let's go. Ha. ha. ha."

The blonde wasn't any better, that much was reassuring, if not any better. Heck she wasn't at the paper as she responded! at least, It helped the male get his confidence back.

"I-it's decided, then. Wait, we forgot to inform Mira. H-haha..."

 _Not a bad effort._ And it somewhat helped Lucy in regaining her senses.

"W-what are you saying, Gray." She laughed nervously, poking him with her elbow,"You forgot she is out? Gravure magazine stuff..." She informed him.

"I-is that so?"

"That is so..."

A quiet reply to a quiet question. Well, not exactly smooth but it worked.

In the end, Gray decided to leave a note on the counter. It wasn't even needed, but he needed a distraction to improve to mood.

Both of them were silent now. Gray had no idea how to handle the situation, nor did Lucy. After some pondering, the taller mage took the lead, and left the building first. This, while not exactly helpful, at least woke up Lucy enough so that followed his footsteps.

And she still didn't know what kind of job they had got their hands over. Brilliant.

 **x**

Walking helped. Both of them grew less tense minute by minute. By the time, they had caught the transportation vehicle, they were feeling good enough to talk about necessary stuff. Chatting casually still impossible though. It cost them the end of ride in order to open up to each other again. Gray started it first by a cliche question i.e. commenting on the weather (luckily, it was cloudy) and Lucy commented how clean the air was, and that it was just what she searching for, having grown tired by the dull routine of her city life. Within moments, both of them were back in sync. They still avoided the earlier topics and focused on the mission instead.

The vehicle stopped at their destination, and they felt paved path neath their feet again. The two of them began to walk side-by-side, observing around. They were heading to some kind of mountain, or so Lucy could gather from the scenery around her.

"So... Where are we?" She inquired.

"You don't know?" And as he discerned the reason "why" she didn't, he quickly added,"At the foot of Azurea Mountain."

"I see..."

"Come to think of it, what is the job about, anyway?" She asked curiously.

"Ah- yeah. It is about." He held his finger high, as she observed it moving around. "Wait-I don't remember either..." Gray's face grew dark, he had only been able to memorize the location after that disaster. She just had to facepalm.

In the meantime, Gray took out the poster from his bag (thanking God that he didn't throw it away) He then began to read it attentively.

"So... What does it say?" Lucy asked, facing him sideways.

"Heh. Apparently, they want us to bring them a rare flower or something. _Middlemist Camellia_ , it says." He explained with a smug smile.

"Eh- really?!" She exclaimed.

"What- you know about it?"

"Of-course I do! It's one of the rarest flowers existing right now!" She twinkled, sharing her knowledge.

"Heh. Ain't that cool. _"_ He said nonchalantly with his eyes stuck on the papery then his eyes widened.

"What- what does it say?" Lucy asked in a hurry.

"It says we will get 1 billion jewels as a reward...!" He awed, mouth wide open.

"Are you kidding? No thanks, I am not falling for that" She looked at him with distrusting eyes.

"It's _written_ here, see." He pointed, and she leaned onto him until could the font clearly.

 _He wasn't lying._

"... That's amazing, Gray! We hit on a jackpot! That means I won't have to work for a while! I can dress up all I want, buy anything I want... Just wow." Lucy cheered, high-fiving the black-haired fellow of hers.

"Yeah, I am happy, too." He gave her a wide smile. From then on, his expression gradually grew somber.

"Hey... don't you find it strange that we are getting paid such a large sum for a mere flower?" He snorted.

"A mere flower? It is a rare one though, the rarest as I said earlier." She narrowed her eyes.

"But it still smells fishy no matter what. " He said, throwing his arms back on his shoulders.

"Oh Gray, you don't know to what lengths plant lovers can go. They say only 2 of its kind exist in the world. I say, 50 million is a nice enough reward for it." She tweeted, staring at him with her big, brown eyes.

"When you put it like that, I can't help but agree..." He said thoughtfully, and she grinned at him as if it was her victory. As naive as you can be, you sure know your deal." He smirked at her.

"What is with that condescending line." The blonde looked displeased.

"I am complimenting you, of-course. Don't feel down over nothing." He grinned, ruffling her hair as if it was the most natural thing... only to jerk back impulsively.

"... Thank you." Lucy said quietly, looking down as a pretty red color tinged from her cheeks.

"Mention not." The ice mage said swiftly, clearing his throat soon afterward.

Another wave of silence, yet not as bad as the ones they had faced before. This gave the blonde some time to ponder. She had heard about these flowers in the guild library just a couple of days ago. Being bored helped. It was pretty interesting, reading information she never knew about. She would never say no to some quality knowledge. at that time, she also happened to relate a myth related to it.

 _Something about a flower which is so rare that it is thought to be extinct. It is said that the pairs who touch it together, and inhale its aroma, shall be blessed by the goddess of flowers. Their bond will never break, and no hurdles will ever get their spirits down; and that they will always stand by each other during the time of needs..._

"If I remember correctly, the flower mentioned there was..." She stopped talking and walking altogether, standing still as if a revelation had just hit her.

"What happened, Lucy?" Gray asked with concern.

"Gray, tell me. Does it say anything more about the flower's appearance?" She asked calmly.

"Hmm... Let me check." He unfolded the wrinkled surface again, and read it thoroughly once again.

" Something about the color of flower-"

"The color of flower?" She asked impatiently.

"...Blue, it says. More like, what's gotten with you all of a sudden?" Gray inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"... N-nothing."

There's no way she could tell him about it. Not when they were finally able to talk comfortably again. _Besides, it's just a myth. Who in the world even knew if it was true or not. Yup, yup, no need to share._

"Hmm. Is that really it?" He emphasized, leaning in. And she realized that their faces were just a few inches away. She gazed at him, but realizing how he was gazing back at her, broke off he eye-contact and fixated her vision on a nearby tree.

 _"Tch! Can't be helped, as long as I avoid the actual topic and somehow manage to fool him. It should work!"_

She sighed.

"... Normally the flower is either pink or red. The blue ones don't exist." The star mage said calmly, or she wanted to be perceived as.

"And? What is your point?" He inquired, lightly touching his cheek.

"Exactly what I said. It's the blue flower which they want, hence why the job is so rewarding! It is almost impossible to search for it, you know?!" She laid stress, but ended up sounding a tad more fervent and rushed than she intended to. And she realized that she had made a mistake.

"Right. But that's not all to it, is there?" He emphasized.

 _"Give me a break..."_

"You still are hiding something. I want to know what." He persisted.

 _"What should I do? Should I tell him? But no, it's too embarrassing! And what if he takes the wrong idea... Too risk-worthy..."_ She tried to glance at him, but knowing how quick-witted he could be, decided not to take a risk.

"Hey... tell me... I won't tell anyone, I promise." He said sincerely. She could feel his words reverberating inside her head.

 _"Please."_

She immediately gulped. It was going to take guts to say _no_ to that. Unfortunately, for Lucy, she didn't possess such courage, not in-front of him. So she chose to be brave, and instead of gulping down his words, and running away; she gulped down her fear instead.

And she finally managed to do it. She looked forward, clenched her fist and inhaled quickly.

"A-actually...!" She stammered.

.

.

.

 **[To Be Continued]**

* * *

 **Rain Corner**

Ah man, I didn't want to end it on such a dramatic note... The original version was supposed to be more toned down and flowed better imo, but for the sake of making it a two-shot, I decided to do this... Well, I sure hope you guys won't let it get in the way of your enjoyment. I say the best has yet to come, please wait for it.

So yup, feel free to discuss. And please review! Reviews are amazing, you know. Perfect way of boosting the author's mood. And I welcome any kind, positive or negative (tho I'd say please keep it constructive if possible) And that's it... Look forward! ^^


	2. Change

Thanks for the reviews! Here's part two just like I promised ^^

* * *

 **x**

 **Change**

"Let's sit..." She said quietly, and plopped down on a stone, gesturing at him to do the same.

As he sat near her, Gray questioned her again, anxious.

"The truth is, I... I have heard about a myth related to that flower. In-fact, just a few days ago. To be honest, I don't know if it's true or not..." She uttered, clutching her knees tightly.

"Really? That's awesome, Lucy! it can be some kind of clue. Also, it might clarify whether this poster is fake or not. Good job!" He exclaimed with enthusiasm. It was unusual side of his. Naturally, the blonde uneasy.

"Yeah... Mm." Lucy replied, stooping low.

"So. What is about?" He resumed.

"You see... It's about um... embarrassing stuff..." She whispered, and broke off the eye contact, her face beet red.

 _Damn it. Too awkward._

She raised her eyes to catch a glimpse of him. Let's jusy say that he was looking exactly like she had pictured him to. He was gazing at her with a peculiar curiosity. The lump in his throat moved up and down, and a trail of sweat was visible to her. And then his lips moved, and oh... let's just say, she wanted to cover her ears.

"... To what degree?" He spoke in a low tone, ingesting his own saliva.

 _What kind of question is that? How am I even supposed to answer?!_

"Don't tell me... it's past the safe zone?!" He spoke a bit too loudly and excitedly, and she felt as if her heart had bombarded.

"No way, you pervert!" She nearly spit at his face.

"..."

"S-sorry..."

"It's fine. More like, carry on." He inquired, pointing her thumb at him, face sparkling.

 _"Again. He was playing it cool again..."_ She gritted her teeth.

"Fine! I will do it. I will show you I can do it!" She screamed at him.

"Hai hai. Do it already.' He said with a blank expression.

"Well... it said that the two who hold the flower together at the same time, will fall in love..." She spoke out her true thoughts, and then felt a shiver travel through her spine.

"Wha-" He yelped, only to cover his lips; passing his hand through his hair in a rushed manner.

They both were blushing once again.

"M-more like, their bond will become unbreakable..." She said quietly, earning a perplexed reaction, "Sorry, I just felt like saying the first line..." She apologized, laughing nervously as she stroked her head.

"Ah... So that's why you looked so troubled." He said it with an unreadable expression, his face cast downwards. And then he turned quiet.

This was a shock for the blonde. She wanted something... more concrete? More solid? She herself didn't know what she wanted, but it was definitely not such a boring answer.

"Don't you have anything more to say?" She asked sternly, anxiousness building up inside her.

"Not really."

A silent reply she received. Not satisfying at all.

"Why? Why won't you say anything?"

"Because... It's that sort of stuff you know.." He whispered nervously, staring at her as her face darkened.

"Besides, we don't know it's authentic or not.. Maybe they wrote it just for fun or something. Don't you agree?"

"Okay."

 _She was pissed off._

"What... are you angry? Don't tell me- you believe that sort of stuff-"

"I do. Is it bad that I do?" She yelled, cutting his words, " _Someone wrote it for fun_ , you say? Isn't that hypocritical of you?"

"Even if you call me that-"

Before the ice maker could finish his words, the blonde interrupted yet again. She had control over herself anymore.

"It's a huge thing for me, you know! Because I don't even know how you see me! How was I supposed to tell you this? Great. Now that you know, you might want to avoid me and quit the mission. Oh I forgot, there's Juvia for you, and you two are such a great match. I could never come in between you two and-" She said it all in a rush, without thinking twice. Her head was hurting, she felt dizzy.

 _"No it's not like that! Juvia is a friend! I can't be jealous of her... Don't I say it always? No... These can't my words."_

"O-oi... what are you talking about...? When did Juvia came in..." The ice maker halted, his voice quavering. He held his hands uptight as he continued, "More like, why does she always have to become a part of our conversations...?"

This only added fire to the fuel, however.

"She has to. You two belong to each other, everyone in the guild says it!" Lucy was talking like a child now, saying whatever was coming to her mind.

Even the ever calm and collected ice mage was clicking his tongue now, heaving a deep breathe as he shouted,

"I belong to no one! I don't even know why you... Right, I just remembered. Can't I say the same thing about you and Natsu? _Everyone's beloved couple_. The talk of the guild. You two are always together, aren't you?" He yelled, veins popping out of his forehead.

"Of-course, Natsu and me are very, very close friends. Be jealous. Be very jealous. " Lucy argued back, sneering at him.

"You... Don't say stuff like that so easily!" He roared. He louder than she imagined he would..

"Enough. We are going nowhere with this." The ice mage added as he paused to catch a breath.

"Yeah, I agree. And I know what we should do, let's go back. You can come back with Juvia later, and me with Natsu. And then, we can have a competition, shall we? That would be like. so. amazing." She ridiculed, picking her bag and attempting to stand up.

Except that she couldn't, Gray clenched her wrist and forcibly made her sit down.

"Why are you so persistent in twisting off my words? What did I do wrong?" He finally asked, bearing a sober expression. She felt her heart sinking at this. Even fighting in a jokingly-yet-not-quite manner was enjoyable. Now that he had demanded the truth, she was coming back to reality. A part of her wanted to say everything, but the other distressed. A clash began inside her, but the victor could only be one.

"You aren't trying to understand at all.." She whimpered.

"Then, make me understand. I won't know if you beat about the bush." he said seriously, his face softening.

She closed her eyes momentarily. Breathing in some courage and breathing out the cowardice, and the battle proved to be success. She stood up, faced him gracefully and pointed at him.

"Because I want to carve it. A bond with you." She said solemnly, yet proudly.

"I've been wanting it so bad... And for so long. In my subconscious, it was always there. Why are we close yet distant? Why must there be a gap between us?" She threw question after question at him querulously.

"I know what I am saying is awkward and embarrassing but I can't...! I don't want to be the only one who think like this!" She paused.

"The truth is, I know you _don't_ like Juvia the way _I_ claim you do. _Nor_ do _I_ want you to." She said calmly, yet with the still power inside her body.

While every statement was shaking Gray's heart by some degree, this one pierced right through it. It just hit him that hard.

"The real question isn't whether you like someone or not. What I want isn't a friend, isn't a lover. I want a _soulmate_ in you, Gray! And I see it. The question is: Do you see one in me?" She screeched. With power. With vigor. With strength. And the ice maker felt every bit of it.

He was speechless. One part of him was annoyed. Another part of him was shocked. But most of him was definitely _happy._ He couldn't possibly get more contented than this. He had to answer her. He had to answer all of it.

But first, he needed to hug her.

And so he did. He hugged her tenderly. She didn't struggle, she was shaking horribly and sobbing.

And then he seriously told her these words,

"I don't understand. I will be frank, Lucy. What you are saying is awkward. It's just you being an idealist. People can't become soulmates just by talking about it. If there was such a way, life would be _too_ easy. Everyone would be happy. I would say you are being too emotional."

His words were strict, and if not for his aforementioned warning, the blonde would have lost it completely. While she still felt mad, she couldn't complain. He was right. Really, it was just her being pathetic there. In the end, she could only carve an embarrassing situation. There was nothing to feel proud about. _Nothing._

"Seriously, it pisses me off. The fact that I understand!" He gritted his teeth, practically spitting at her (and she wondered if it was a payback)

She flinched back. She peered at him (the silly tears blocking her vision) She searched for her reflection in his eyes. _He meant his words._

"I want to be, don't even question it! I have wanted it so much, for so long." He looked melancholic, as if he was going to break soon. And she felt it all. His loneliness. His emotions. His words.

"Let's become soulmates, Lucy." He beamed a kind smile at her, and that was the kindest expression she ever witnessed on his face.

He caught her hands gently. He kissed them. He rubbed his icy fingers along her cheeks. Wiping away the still-warm tears, he lightly touched his nose against her. She could hardly utter a word anymore, nothing could be more perfect than this.

"Eskimo kisses suit soulmates, don't they?" He said softly with the tiniest satire in his voice.

She felt so satisfied, so contented, that she began to cry. And those were the tears of joy.

"Silly. You are never gonna change, are you?" She whispered joyfully, her sadness completely melted by now.

"You won't let me." He snickered.

And he offered her a hug, and she gladly agreed. As she leaned against his (comfortably) cold body, she felt something:

 _Time had stopped. Just for them._

 **x**

The couple had their eyes shut off as if lost in their own world. It was Lucy who opened them first, and she did it slowly. She saw faint blue light. It was growing intense by every passing second, its ray scattering all around.

"Gray, Look!" Lucy exclaimed with astonishment, pointing her eyes in the little space between their bodies.

"This... is..."

And then they both witnessed. The light became brighter until it reached its optimum intensity, and then it grew a little dull; not blinding but still bright enough. Suddenly, it changed form into _something_ totally different. The couple was awestruck.

"It can't be... _the Camellia?!"_ They both whooped in unison, their eyes stuck on the floating azure flower.

"But we were going to search it here. Then how... Did we..." Gray mumbled, taking a step back.

They found their hands reaching towards it, even if they tried to stop, they couldn't. They both grasped the flower (just like the myth hinted they should) holding it carefully. The light grew intense again, as if it would render them sightless. Except that it didn't. And then it vanished.

"It stopped..." Gray eyed at her, still bemused.

Silence. Until the female mage broke it.

"I think I got it." She said proudly, showing off her pearly, white teeth.

"Or it's you being overly emotional again!" He taunted.

"Quit it."

"Yes mam!" He saluted.

"We carved it..." Lucy muttered softly, her eyes twinkling.

Gray gawked at her as if she had just uttered a blasphemy.

"You really have lose it today... I will just cover my ears from now on-"

 _A chop on his head._

"Seriously, guys these days..." She grumbled.

The ice maker just kept staring at her, grinning at her pouting face. It was cute.

"Soulmates. Right?" He uttered, smirking.

"O-oh... so you understand after-all..." She coughed, trying to hide her embarrassment.

"But I still think you didn't have to hide it. That makes me look like an idiot." Lucy whined, crossing her arms. She wasn't going to drop that attitude so easily.

"I tease you a little and you get like this."

The blonde flinched.

He extended his hand at her in the meantime.

"Let's go." He beamed.

A rush of emotions. A rise in blood pressure. And the violent thumping of the heart.

"Hmph. S-stop being a romanticist now. It won't do you any good!" She sneered, rejecting his hand for the second. Then she stood up on her own, and began to walk exaggeratedly.

 _"A gorilla...?"_ He thought, cold sweat dropping from his forehead.

He then began to stare quietly at the flower she had left behind. Smiling as it glinted faintly, he stuffed it inside his pocket. And then he ran after her, quickly shortening the distance, until they were about one foot apart. He was careful enough to keep his pace one step behind hers, as he slid his hands in his pocket.

Moments turned into minutes, and the minutes kept combining. Instinct or not, he noticed the distance between them reducing little by little.

 _Was she doing it or was gravity at blame here?!_

A few minutes more, and he got it. The culprit really was her. With this, there was nothing to be surprised about.

Except that the blonde had other plans. As they walked neck-to-neck, she did a role reversal and grabbed his hand (and successfully startling him)

He looked at her, dumbfounded. For, he could feel her drawing circles on his palm with the back of her thumb. _Extreme deja vu._

"I-if it's not at this level, it's no good." She croaked, glancing at him with one eye. Then she gaped at him ostentatiously, as if wanting to show him who's the boss.

"Heh. Is that so?"

He was smirking. And then he firmed his grip, mimicking her actions, except that he was at least ten times more skillful than her. The smug on his face only dug deeper as she felt it affecting her anxiety, and her blood pressure, and her veins, and oh God, she wanted to hit him once and get it over with!

"Hey, you really do suck at reading mood! Looks like I will need to train you personally." She whispered seductively, blowing a kiss at him.

"Is that so? Okay, master~" He purred with a straight face.

The nerve.

"Gah. Seriously, what's with you today? You are being a lot more annoying than you usually are!" She yelled at him, clenching her fist tightly.

"Because, we are soulmates, aren't we?" He ridiculed, halting.

"Don't say it! So embarrassing, so embarrassing, so embarrassing!" She cringed, her face beet red.

"Ho~ You were the one who brought it first, weren't you?" He snicked without mercy, and raced ahead as he waited for her to catch on.

"G.R.A.Y! YOU WILL PAY FOR IT!" She screamed at him, and without a second of hesitation, jumped at him.

The mischievous mockery had just begun, and the blonde was helpless against it. Well, it was all for the good. Them being soulmates (oh the embarrassment) might be for the good of the world. As cliche as it sounded, maybe they would still end up _saving_ the world from chaos and evil through _sheer power of love_. Or they can just live a _very normal life_ in a _very normal_ guild; the possibility was slim though. Well, whatever path they choose, taking it slow and steady would be for the best. After-all, their relationship had just begun, and there's no doubt that would get only stronger and stronger from now and onward.

 _._

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 ** _[End]_**

* * *

 **Rain Corner**

Phew done. At first I was satisfied with this, but you know what? This was better in my head, esp. the argument part. Meh. Still consider it a improvement to my previous drama fics (I hope no one minds that :p)

Please send me your kind reviews and tell me if you liked this story (or hated it. grr) Feedback is much appreciated~ Really, even if you review after like 2 years, I would still be as happy as I would be now.

Btw Gray didn't strip that much in this fic lol. You can imagine some of the scenes with his stripped version if you want. It's unnatural if he doesn't strip at least once hahae to ask anything if it is confusing ^^


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